Thursday, August 14, 2014

JAL to resume Kansai – Los Angeles in Winter 2014/2015.

Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) will reportedly launch Osaka/Kansai (KIX/RJBB) – Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) service from sometime during the Winter 2014/2015 timetable, which begins on October 26th, using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Nothing official has been released from the airline as of yet.

Japan's second largest carrier suspended the route in September 2006, however, the local business community along with Kansai Airport had been pushing for the resumption. Japanese corporations are loyal customers of ANA and JAL. Currently, United Airlines (UA/UAL) and China Airlines (CI/CAL) offer the only non-stop flights to mainland U.S.A, flying to San Francisco (SFO/KSFO) and New York/John F. Kennedy (JFK/KJFK), respectively, though the latter will be suspended this October.
JAL had been considering resuming both Los Angeles and London (JAL to resume Kansai to London and Los Angeles in 2015.) from Japan's second largest metropolis, however, relaunch of the latter has been put on hold for now. "Once we start, it becomes difficult to quit even if it's unprofitable," said a JAL staff who spoke on anonymity. The London link was also suspended in March 2009. JAL's modest international network from Kansai presently includes Bangkok/Suvarnabhumi (BKK/VTBS), Honolulu (HNL/PHNL), Seoul/Gimpo (GMP/RKSS), Shanghai/Pudong (PVG/ZSPD), and Taipei/Taoyuan (TPE/RCTP).
Reference: Nikkei Shimbun, August 14th. (in Japanese)